Some things are important: Slant Culture Theatre Festival

Some things are just important.

The Slant Culture Theatre Festival is one of those things.

It's important because we are a theater-loving, arts-supporting community, and we deserve something like this.

It's important because we're the home of the Humana Festival, and we should have a home-grown equivalent.

Side note: the Humana Festival 2013 schedule was announced today. Check out Erin Keane's coverage here. The exciting news is that, except for an anthology performance, all the playwrights featured are new to the Fest.

I'm not going to reinvent the wheel in this post. I already covered the Slant Culture Fest in an article for the Louisville Paper. Check it out here.

But it is important. We should support it. We want it to come back next year and for many years to come. It features five of the best and most exciting local theatre companies in rep, including my beloved Le Petomane performing my favorite play of theirs, 5 THINGS. (Also, check out Le Petomane's snazzy new website!)

I went to the launch and heard the fabulous Joel Henderson and the 40 Gallon Baptist and the sublime Cheyenne Marie Mize. I saw 5 THINGS and BUY THE BOOK last night.

There's still a full week left. Get a day pass, a weekend pass, or a pass for the whole shebang. You'll want to check out more than just one thing.

But, go. Support. Enjoy. We deserve this.

An Embarrassment of Theater Riches: Le Petomane, Theater [502], Walden

I know I blog a lot about theater and have a lot of friends in local theater, but I'm still not necessarily wise to the ways of theater people. One question that's been at the forefront of my mind lately is: why does it always seem a "feast or famine" issue for local theater here in Louisville? Who decides what a "season" looks like, time-wise? Who makes these schedules? I know many of the local theater companies participate in group auditions; why is it that these same companies don't participate in a group scheduling workshop at the beginning of each year?

I voiced this concern yesterday to Roommate, and he said, "You should do it."

Turns out he misunderstood what I was saying. He thought that I was saying that someone be in charge of keeping a master schedule of what's going on when and where in theater in Louisville. Not necessarily a bad idea, but that wasn't the point that I was trying to make. I was saying that someone should be the gatekeeper of that schedule. When he said, "You should do it," my wheels started to turn, and I imagined myself in a dark leather wing chair behind a massive desk, perhaps stroking a white Persian cat, with the leaders of all the local theater groups assembled before me waiting patiently while I doled out Louisville theater calendar real estate.

So, Louisville Theater professionals, I'm just putting this out there. If you need a Godmother of Theater Calendar Dispersal, you just let me know, okay?

Because maybe if I was the Godmother of Theater, we wouldn't have the glut of absolutely fantastic theater offerings that awaits us in the coming weeks.  We could spread out our theater love a bit more. (And right before the holidays, too, when we're all paying a little more attention to our pocket books and our discretionary spending...)

The must-see theater over the next couple of weeks...

First up, we have Le Petomane's A VERY SPECIAL HOLIDAY SPECIAL (with new special short masked piece, EN ROUTE).  I am terribly late to the Le Petomane bandwagon, I'm afraid. After years of hearing nothing but good things about them from friends and from the LEO Best of's, I finally got to check out 5 THINGS, their most recent show, and write an article about them for The Paper. And now I'm a believer. I have to admit, I liked the three people from Le Petomane that I interviewed so much that I fretted about seeing the show. I wanted them to be as smart and fun and funny on stage as they were in person, and they were... in spades. From their press release:

A Very Special Holiday Special features all you would expect from a Le Petomane season-appropriate outing: snappy tunes; a giant atomic beast crushing cities; baffled scientists pointing skyward and shouting. And a message of love. It isn’t Plan 9 from the North Pole; it isn’t Rankin-Bass’s Godzilla; but it’s not far away.

A VERY SPECIAL HOLIDAY SPECIAL runs from November 9-20 (dark on the 15th) at the Bard's Town Theatre at 730p. Tickets are a sliding scale of $8-$20. For more information visit: www.lepetomane.org

My work with The Paper also led me to interview Mike Brooks, the director of the second of Theatre [502]'s shows, HUNTER GATHERERS. And I had a similar "I like you so much, please don't suck" feeling when finally seeing the show. Again, Mike is smart and thoughtful in person, and his directing absolutely did not disappoint.  Theatre [502]'s third show launches at the Parkside Studios inside of Iroquois Amphitheater November 11, 12, 14, 18, and 19 at 8pm. BROADSWORD, directed by Amy Attaway, is billed as a "Heavy Metal Play." From their press release:

Four former friends have gathered to mourn the puzzling disappearance of one of their own. What dark secrets of their heavy metal youth still scrape and bang in the basements of their lives? Their childhood dreams of rock and roll glory long fallen by the wayside, the former line-up of the shoulda-coulda-woulda band find themselves in an awkward, maybe even sinister reunion gig. Richie disappeared late one night leaving nothing but the smell of ozone - or was it sulfur? - and his partners in rock may hold the only key to his salvation. Now, pitted between two mysterious strangers, the guys must decide: do they have the strength to burn out, or will they just fade away?

I saw the joint Theatre [502]/Le Petomane staged reading of IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE at the Parkside Studios, and I'm so excited to see how they use the space (it's a climate-controlled space on the Amphitheater stage) for a full production. This is another don't-miss-it show. More info at www.theatre502.org

Is that not enough for you?  Wait! There's more!

From the Walden website:

Phantom Band is Walden Theatre’s latest Slant Culture Series play. A laboratory for new plays by rising playwrights that feature complex teen characters, the Slant Culture Series encourages young actors to seek inspiration from a fresh, inward angle. Previous selections include The Disappearance of Daniel Hand by Dan O’Brien, My So-Called So-Called Life by David Murray, and the powerful, tragic When In Disgrace (Haply I Think on Thee) by Damon Krometis.

I saw and loved SO-CALLED and WHEN IN DISGRACE, and I'm a huge, huge fan of the Slant Culture Series because of it. I always try to make it out to as many Walden plays as possible, but that this play is also directed by Alec Volz makes this a must-see for me. Performances are at Walden November 10, 11 at 8pm and Nov 12, 17, 18, 19 at 7:30p and 12 & 19 at 2pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students/seniors. More info: www.waldentheatre.org

Three can't-miss theater productions in two weeks. Louisville, you're an embarrassment of theater riches!

(I have to admit, though, that I'm a little ticked off... all shows close by the 20th, and Mama Lou is visiting from the Northern Hinterlands starting the 21st! Booo!)

Beckett X 2

My undergraduate degree program didn't allow you to concentrate on any particular facet of your major.  I mean, you could, but those concentrations wouldn't end up on any official documentation.  So I graduated with a vanilla English major, but my coursework was almost entirely in two concentrations: Creative Writing and Modern Irish Literature.

I remember reading WAITING FOR GODOT in high school and having no flipping idea what was going on.  My sophomore year in college, I took an entire class on Beckett and fell in love.

So I'm psyched that Savage Rose Theatre is putting up a production of two of Beckett's short plays: KRAPP'S LAST TAPE and HAPPY DAYS starting August 25 (here is the calendar, warning: it's a PDF).  I'm especially excited to see that one of my favorite local directors is directing my favorite of the two.  Alex Volz, who's directed some wonderful things for Walden Theatre, is directing KRAPP'S.

I don't believe I have seen any of Savage Rose's productions; I may have to rectify that by going to see this production.  It's at Walden's Nancy Niles Sexton stage.  Check out their website for more details.

Walden's Shakespeare Festival

This is a bit late to the game, so I will be brief.

Y'all know I love me some Walden Theatre.  It's a treasure.  A local treasure.

This week, I've been to two of the three plays in their annual Shakespeare Festival, and I have been charmed and amused and thoroughly entertained.

Yesterday, I saw OTHELLO.  I know OTHELLO like the back of my hand.  I directed the play during the summer after my junior year at the Columbia Outdoor Shakespeare Festival in New York City.  Walden's production was spot on.  The highlight of the show was the young man who portrayed Iago, easily the most complicated character in all of Shakespeare's works.  Stunning work.  Excellent work by all the actors who portrayed leads, especially Roderigo, Emilia, and Othello.

Tonight I saw TWELFTH NIGHT.  This gender-bending comedy's comedy was made more comedic by the decision to cast only girls.  Hilarious.  Sometimes a bit over-the-top, but as an audience at Walden, it's important to always understand that Walden actors are still in training.  I like to see a young actor go for it BIG; time and training will teach him or her (her in this case-- several hers) to rein it in.  But this cast's Viola? Brilliant.  Gentle and subtle and funny as heck.

The third play is ANTONY & CLEOPATRA, which I may miss.  I'm bummed because I admire the director, Alec Volz.

This is the last week.  Go see a show or two. You won't be sorry. All plays are at the Victor Jory Theater at Actors Theatre.  Call the box office for tickets.

Othello dir. Charlie Sexton
May 14, 15 @ 2pm
May 17, 20, 22 @7:30pm
Twelfth Night dir. Barrett Cooper
May 13, 15, 18, 21 @7:30
May 22 @2pm
Antony & Cleopatra dir. Alec Volz
May 12, 14, 16, 19 @7:30
May 21 @ 2pm

Walden's TKAM: The Perfect Play for Imperfect Times

You know I love me some Walden Theater.  So I'm super excited to see their production of the play version of one of my favorite books ever (probably one of yours too).


To Kill a Mockingbird had such an impact on me when I was a 7th grader that for more than a decade whenever a friend or family member was pregnant, I lobbied passionately that they name any boychild "Atticus." When I first met Roommate and we started dating, I found out that he hadn't read TKAM, I freaked out, bought him the book, and hovered over him til he read every last word.  (He loved it.)


It's the perfect book for imperfect times.


Times where we're publishing revisions of classic novels and sanitizing history.  (I'm told that the Walden production does not excise the n-word.)  Atticus says: "When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness' sake. But don't make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults, an evasion simply muddles 'em."


Times when our government officials seem to care more about being "right" and getting their way than they do about doing what's right and finding common ground.  Atticus says:  "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."


Times when we're talking an awful lot about "civility," but not necessarily practicing it.  Again, the font of wisdom says, "It's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you."


For those of you who are unfamiliar with Walden Theater, it's one of the premier young adult theaters in the country and an absolute treasure for this city.  Read more about it at their website.  And we live in a time (honestly, was there ever NOT a time?) when young people seem to get way more bad press than they do good press. As someone who has devoted her life to working with young people, I rise up like an angry mama lion when I hear people patently shit-talking the kids.  So if you find yourself in the "goddamned kids these days" camp or worrying about the future of America, Walden is a good place to put your concerns to rest.  These are talented, creative, imaginative, devoted young people who will inspire your faith in "kids these days."  Once you see how hard they work, you'll quit your worrying.  (100% of Walden kids graduate from high school.  They go to school all day and devote hours and hours of their after school time to classes and rehearsals-- and still have to do their homework.  88% go on to higher education.)


I'll get off my soapbox now.  Support Walden.  Go see To Kill a Mockingbird.  Renew your faith in humanity.  

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Christopher Sergel, adapted from the book by Harper Lee
directed by Charlie Sexton 

Synopsis
After a black man is accused of a terrible crime, lawyer Atticus Finch and his intrepid daughter Scout have to navigate the color lines drawn in a sleepy Alabama town to defend the accused and protect the townspeople from themselves. The book, a sensitive, bold look into a small town during the civil rights era, just celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Dates: 2011

January 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29 @ 7:30pm
January 22, 29 @ 2:00pm

Venue
Walden Theatre, 1123 Payne Street


Ticket Information
Walden Theatre: (502) 589-0084 

Young American Shakespeare Festival

You know how I love Walden Theater. Somehow their Young American Shakespeare Festival, which starts this weekend, just crept up on me.

Both My So-Called So-Called Life and When In Disgrace... , the two Walden plays I've seen and loved, were directed by Alec Volz, who is directing Henry V for the festival. I suppose I should check out the other directors' work, but I'm really curious to see Volz's take on this epic.

All of the plays are at the Victor Jory theater at Actors. Here's the schedule for the festival:

Henry V
directed by Alec Volz
May 6,8,10,13 @ 7:30 pm
May 15 @ 2:00 pm

Love's Labour's Lost
directed by Charlie Sexton
May 11,16 @ 7:30 pm
May 14 @ 8:00 pm
May 8,9 @ 2:00 pm

Timon of Athens
directed by J. Barrett Cooper
May 7,9,12,15 @ 7:30 pm
May 16 @ 2:00 pm

Who didn't feel like Angela Chase?

[Cue voiceover: a stilted, moody, somewhat melodramatic teen girl. One gets the sense she'd make a good Juliet some day.]

You know how sometimes... it's the little things that make you proud of a place? Like when the weather's been bad? And you're not really sure what you're doing here? And you miss all the people you left behind when you came here? And then something really small makes you suddenly feel like you... belong? Like you need to be here. Like things are happening, and maybe you want to be part of this place that's changing?

Things like IdeaFestival and Waterfront Wednesday do that for me. Forecastle Fest and Good Folk Fest. Stuff like that. Places you can go and feel like this city is full of really amazing people thinking and doing and creating really amazing things. And it's like you're not in Kentucky after all, not the Kentucky that you've been warned about. It's like you're someplace... else. Someplace better.

So tonight? Tonight I went to see My So-Called So-Called Life at the Kentucky Center and it was like that. I'm not really even sure I liked it or understood it, but I was, like, wow. This is dark; this is surreal. There are real-live teenagers on that stage, like, grappling with some seriously twisted and difficult stuff. There are, like, real-live teen girls on that stage... making out! And nobody's walking out. Nobody's flinching. More importantly, there had to be tons of real-live adults behind that production who decided that it was okay, that this is theater, that this is art. And that in the real world, real-live teenagers grapple with their identities and with all kinds of pain every single day.

And it, like, made me proud, you know? It made me proud to know that there's a place in this city like Walden Theater where they're not afraid to tackle these sort of issues. And where they, you know, honor the humanity of teenagers.

It's weird. It's like you go to the theater to be entertained, and you come away... struck.

My apologies to Angela Chase...

There's only two more shows of My So-Called So-Called Life. And, you know, I'm not sure I really liked it. It was dark; it was weird. Some of it felt vaguely awkward. But, man, you can't help but be thrilled for them: for Walden, for the parents, for everyone behind that production. Because if nothing else, it pushed....

If you've been weighing whether or not to go, I implore you to go see it. Not because it's great theater-- although the young woman who played Pearl was stunning-- but because the house was less than half full tonight. And it would be really nice to send a message to Walden.

And that message would be: Thanks. Thanks for crossing some pretty forcefully defended teen theater lines. Those kids who grapple, who are grappling... I'm sure they're wicked grateful. And so are the adults who support them.